If we pick apricots after they start to show good color but before they're ripe, will they continue to ripen (like tomatoes will)?

We have two second year apricot trees, (I've forgotten the variety) which bore well last year and have lots of green fruit this year. However, the birds took a good portion of the crop last year. We don't object to "A share for us, a share for Mother Nature", but this year we want a larger share. I'd like to avoid draping the trees with mesh.

tarheel, A friend covers her ripening peaches with 'socks'. Those footsie nylon thingies the shoe stores keep on hand for trying on shoes. When she asked the store manager if she could buy a couple dozen, the manager just gave her a box of them. Maybe you could entice with an offer to trade fresh apricots. It sounded labor intensive to me but she was happy with the way it worked out and didn't want to use netting because then she had to deal with releasing the birds caught in the net, not a fun task.